Employment Screening Checklist – HRemploymentScreening.com

Employees are the lifeblood of every business, and employment screening is one of the most effective ways to ensure the very best and most informed hiring decisions are made. Every business should have a hiring checklist and an employment screening checklist that is part of a basic, systematic plan for screening and vetting applicants.

Not having an employment screening checklist and incorrectly conducting employment screening background checks can lead to diminished workplace productivity and morale, violence in the workplace, negligent hiring lawsuits and damage to the company image and brand.

The following employment screening checklist contains eight of the most important screening areas that should be addressed:

1. Obtain Consent

Create a form listing all of the background areas that will be screened. Have each applicant give written consent to the employment screening program.

2. Verify All Resume Items

A majority of people applying for jobs admit to including exaggerations or even outright fabrications on their resume and/or job applications. Education, employment history and references should all be verified with phone calls to the persons and institutions listed.

3. Study EEOC and FCRA Guidelines

Within your employment screening checklist be sure to include important items from the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) which cover laws and regulations regarding employment generally and employment screening. Using a professional employment screening service can help employers to stay in with these and other key screening laws at both the state and local level.

4. Criminal History compliance

Job applicants should be screened for their criminal past. Employers should comply with any ban-the-box or related legislation in their area. Using a professional screening service can help ensure this step is done thoroughly and properly.

5. Credit Check

Some positions require an employee to handle finances and sensitive client or staff personal information. Employers should consider screening these persons with a credit check.

6. Drug Screening

A drug test can help ensure workers will not be under the influence of illegal drugs while they are in the workplace. Problems with substance abuse in the workplace can cause reduced productivity, liability issues and other problems.

7. Personality Assessment

While this is an optional employment screening checklist step, it can help employers to get a sense of how an applicant might fit on a specific team or in the workplace culture generally.

8. Social Media Screening

This screening area is relatively new, but it can assist employers in getting to know an applicant based on the style and content of their posts. As with all screening areas, the standards used in social media screenings should be consistent for all applicants.

Great hiring choices are made by assessing applicants’ skills and also taking a thorough look at key areas in their past. Professional employment screening can help to address many of the items listed in the employment screening checklist so that business owners can stay focused on what they do best.

Source: https://shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/0914-social-media-hiring.aspx

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is for information purposes only and is not intended to provide professional or legal advice regarding actions to take in any situation.